Mobile Content Will Be King This Christmas, says GfK

Research company GfK is predicting that 3.8 million mobile phones will
be sold in December, and with the best-selling handsets
content-orientated, the company says, mobile content will be King
this Christmas.
At the moment, content is worth 0.93 billion in the UK, already 10%
of what is spent on voice says GfK Business Group Director for Mobile
Content, Jean Littolff. But so far, only 9% of consumers claim they
download content, which leaves massive growth opportunities for the
industry, which could be worth 1.2 billion by the end of 2007. Music
will certainly be leading the way, if we consider the strong push on MP3
dedicated devices.
GfK points out that already, the mobile phone is not simply a voice
device, but also a music player, an FM radio, a camera and a games
machine. The company argues that manufacturers and mobile operators are
setting the ground for the future, spreading technology to motivate new
usage and revenue through content downloads.
GfK research shows that of the top 10 best-selling mobile phones, which
account for more than 40% of total sales, seven have outstanding
content capabilities, with memory capacity from 64MB to 1GB, slots for
memory cards, access to music stores or even 3D gaming capabilities. 
20% of all handsets sold are 3G, which means significant new
opportunities for growth in email and Internet usage says Littolff.
In the very advanced Japanese market, 73% of the 76 million Internet
users are used to accessing the web through their mobile phone. 19% of
them are only using their handset to access the Internet, and 53% are
using both their mobile phone and their PC. Looking towards 2007, we
can expect this device to become the new channel of choice for selling
entertainment in the UK, meaning big money for the industry.